


Chaucer the Matchmaker

by literaryoblivion



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [97]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pet Store, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pet Store, Puppies, Sterek Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 04:19:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5077558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryoblivion/pseuds/literaryoblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles has only been working at the pet store for a little over two weeks now, but he has already grown accustomed to the sound of meows, yips, and barks that echo along the aisles whenever someone brings their pet with them or if someone walks by the adoption cages. What he is not accustomed to is the feel of a small animal tugging on his pant legs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chaucer the Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> This is for [Sterek Week](http://sterekweek2015.tumblr.com/post/128660712591) on Tumblr and is also for [deleted-scenes](http://deleted-scenes.tumblr.com) since she requested this prompt. It is incredibly fluffy and involves puppies. You’ve been forewarned.
> 
> The Tumblr post for this can be found [here](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com/post/131914054013/chaucer-the-matchmaker).

Stiles has only been working at the pet store for a little over two weeks now, but he has already grown accustomed to the sound of meows, yips, and barks that echo along the aisles whenever someone brings their pet with them or if someone walks by the adoption cages. What he is not accustomed to is the feel of a small animal tugging on his pant legs.

He twists from where he is straightening out a row of cat food to find an [adorable, incredibly fluffy dog](http://dogable.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Pomeranian-Husky-Mix1.png) that looks to be a husky, chewing and tugging on the cuff of his jeans. It has a collar with an attached leash dragging behind it, but no owner in sight.

“Well, hello there,” Stiles coos, squatting down to kneel by the puppy, petting and scratching its head. It lets out a pleased yip and paws at Stiles’s leg. “What’s your name?” Stiles mumbles to himself as he shifts the collar to read it.

“Chaucer, huh? Well, nice to meet you. Have you finished your tales yet?” Stiles asks the dog, laughing to himself at his joke. He stands, the end of the leash in his hand, and says, “Let’s see if we can find your owner.”

He just barely starts walking, Chaucer obediently following at his side, when a tall muscular man skids to a halt in front of the aisle, looking frantic and then immediately relieved when he sees Stiles and the dog by him.

“You found him!” the man breathes out, before slowly approaching Stiles.

“I take it you belong to this little guy?” Stiles asks with a grin. Now that the man is closer, Stiles can see how attractive he is, how tight his T-shirt fits across his chest and shoulders. Stiles tries to contain himself; he’s at work, and this man is a customer.

“Yes. I’m sorry. He just took off, and I didn’t have a good grip on the leash, and—“

Stiles holds up his hand. “It’s okay. I understand. No harm done.” Stiles smiles and hands over the leash to the man, who accepts it before wrapping it around his wrist.

“I’m Derek,” the man says, extended his other hand out for Stiles.

He shakes it and replies, “Stiles.”

Derek smiles and looks down at his puppy. “And you’ve already met—“

“Chaucer,” Stiles finishes. “I did. We had a nice conversation about the Wife of Bath.”

Derek’s eyes widen and his grin grows. “She is his favorite. I’m not surprised.”

Stiles can’t help but laugh. “So, big fan of British literature?”

Derek shrugs like it’s no big deal, but Stiles notices a slight tinge of pink along his cheeks and tops of his ears. “I, uh, am studying it; planning on writing my thesis on  _The Canterbury Tales_ actually.”

 _What an adorable nerd_ , Stiles thinks to himself, thankful he doesn’t say it out loud. “That’s awesome.”

Derek gives him a half-smile before clearing his throat and backing away. “Well, I, uh don’t want to keep you from what you were doing,” Derek says waving back to the shelf behind Stiles. Right… work.

“Of course. If you need help finding anything, or something else, just let me know?” Stiles says, suppressing the disappointment he feels over the fact he has to go back to work and not stay and talk with Derek.

Derek nods. “Thanks again,” he says, holding up the leash before walking back out of the aisle.

Chaucer, though, doesn’t follow, and Derek has to tug on the leash to get him away from Stiles to come with him. Stiles bites down on a smile as he turns back to the food he was stacking while he listens to Derek try to coax Chaucer to come with him. Chaucer seems keen on staying with Stiles though and barks and pulls on his leash to go back to where Stiles is standing.

At least the dog likes him enough to be with him a little more. Finally, Derek gives up on the leash, and Stiles can see Derek pick him up and carry him in his arms out of the aisle, the sounds of Chaucer’s protesting barks getting quieter as they move further away.

Stiles does his best to get back to work. He finishes his previous task and moves on to the next aisle where he has to see what there needs to be replenished. He’s in the zone, scanning bar codes and making notes, when he feels a familiar tug on his pants again. Just as he looks down to find Chaucer lovingly chewing on his shoelaces, he hears Derek calling his name a few aisles over.

This time, Stiles, picks Chaucer up and carries him to where he heard Derek, who huffs out a sigh when he sees Stiles. There’s a large bag of dog food on the ground near Derek’s feet as well as a few chew toys, a bag of rawhide bones, and a dog bed.

Stiles can guess what Derek was trying to do this time that made him lose his hold on Chaucer’s leash.

“How about I carry Chaucer here, and you carry those?” Stiles suggests, pointing to the assortment of dog supplies at Derek’s feet.

“That sounds great,” Derek says, sounding relieved. He gathers up his items, and Stiles follows him to the front of the store where the cash registers are.

Derek ducks down a couple more aisles in apology to grab a few things, but Stiles doesn’t mind and tells Derek as much. Chaucer seems content on nibbling on Stiles’s forearm or fingers, and Stiles makes jokes to Derek about how much Chaucer likes him and if only his English professors could see him now.

“He does like you,” Derek remarks quietly as they wait in line. Stiles had been busy staring down at the furry puppy in his arms to pay attention much to Derek, so when he looks up to find Derek staring over at him with a soft smile, his heart flutters.

“I like him, too,” Stiles says, voice as soft and fond as Derek’s had been. He’s mostly talking about the puppy, but a part of him isn’t talking about the dog at all.

“Maybe you could come see him—us, sometime? So he doesn’t miss you, of course.”

“Of course. Wouldn’t want you to put up with his whining…”

“Right.”

Before Stiles can answer Derek’s invite, the cashier is greeting Derek and scanning his items. When Derek’s paid for everything, Stiles feigns helping him still and follows him silently out to his car with Chaucer napping in his arms.

He watches as Derek opens his trunk and puts all of his things inside, and once it’s shut, he hands Chaucer over to Derek’s waiting arms.

“I’d love to, by the way,” Stiles finally says.

“Huh?” Derek asks, brow furrowed a bit in confusion.

“I’d love to come visit you guys, sometime. If the invitation still stands?”

Derek smiles. “Yes. I… uh…” Derek shifts the puppy so he’s holding him with one arm so he can reach into his pocket for his phone with his free hand. He hands his phone to Stiles. “Here, will you put your phone number in, and I can give you a call so we can work something out?”

Stiles nods and takes Derek’s phone to put his number into the contacts. He even sends himself a text, so that he can save Derek’s number in his phone later, too. When he’s through, he gives Derek back his phone and steps up to pet Chaucer.

“Bye, puppy. Take good care of Derek here,” he says grinning up at Derek and giving him a wink. He steps back and softens his smile. “I guess I’ll talk to you later?”

Derek bobs his head. “Thanks for your help with him,” he says lifting his arm slightly to indicate Chaucer.

“My pleasure,” Stiles says. He waves Derek off and returns to work, grinning to himself the rest of his shift.

When he finally gets off work and can check his phone, he has two new text messages from an unknown number.

The first is the one he sent himself from Derek’s phone. The second is from Derek:

**_Hey, this is Derek. I was wondering when you got off work and if you had plans for this evening? Chaucer already misses you, I can tell. And… I’d love to see you, too._ **

Stiles cheeks hurt from the smile that grows on his face at Derek’s text. He texts back:

_I just got off work. I can be ready to do something in about thirty minutes? Also, I’m starved. Want to do dinner?_

**_How do you feel about doing takeout and coming over here? Is that too forward for a first date?_ **

Well, at least Stiles won’t have to wonder what this is between him and Derek.

_Nope. Text me your address and I’ll be over in a bit._

As Stiles rushes home to change and shower (so he didn’t smell like he’d been in a pet store all day), his excitement about being with Derek on a date distracts him from his nervousness about being on a date with Derek. He hopes it goes well because not only is Derek incredibly attractive, he’s also smart and owns an adorably fluffy puppy to boot. He’s kind of perfect, and Stiles wants him all to himself.

~

Of course, Stiles has nothing to worry about because Derek (and Chaucer) like Stiles just as much as he likes them, and the date goes swimmingly. It even ends with a kiss (from both Derek and Chaucer, although Chaucer’s is decidedly more sloppy and slobbery) and plans for a second date.

**Author's Note:**

> It didn’t really fit with the ficlet, but my headcanon is that after Stiles and Derek firmly are a thing, Stiles learns dog commands in Middle/Old English to teach to Chaucer behind Derek’s back, so that when Derek tries to use regular commands Chaucer does nothing, but Stiles can get him to obey with his. This both frustrates and excites Derek because maybe Stiles learns some things for Derek too and recites poetry to him in Middle English in bed.
> 
> Come say hi on [my tumblr](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com) or [my twitter](http://twitter.com/lit_oblivion).


End file.
